


blossom & wilt

by halcyon_epochs



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Angst, Character Bashing, F/M, Father-Son Relationship, Hurt/Comfort, Miraculous Holders, but it might turn out like that, i don't want this to be a fic where I just bash Gabriel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-21
Updated: 2018-01-23
Packaged: 2019-03-07 15:57:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,977
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13438221
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/halcyon_epochs/pseuds/halcyon_epochs
Summary: In which lessons are learned, family is reunited, and love conquers all. Written for Gabriel Appreciation Week on Tumblr.





	1. lost & found

**Author's Note:**

  * For [seasonofthegeek](https://archiveofourown.org/users/seasonofthegeek/gifts).



> Day 1 of Gabriel Appreciation Week on Tumblr.  
> Prompt: Father’s Day  
> In which Marinette helps Adrien find the perfect gift for his father, and Adrien realizes how unappreciative his father is. Written for Day One of Gabriel Appreciation Week.

Admittedly, gallivanting around Paris is not the best way to spend Father’s Day, but Adrien is desperate. He has never bought a gift for his father before. The alternative would be to make something, but Adrien’s artistic skills are nonexistent.

He wants to get something meaningful and useful, but he can’t _think_. Gabriel is a very fastidious man, borderline picky, and there are few things that he doesn’t already possess, being a wealthy fashion tycoon.

He’s feverishly leafing through an exorbitant sketchbook in an arts and crafts store, when a familiar female voice says curiously, “Adrien? Is that you?”

He spins around and breathes a sigh of relief. If anyone can aid him, it’s Marinette. His only hindrance is how to phrase the question without revealing his hopelessness, but Marinette is sweet and understanding.

”Hi, Marinette!” he exclaims, hiding the sketchbook behind his back and plastering a falsely bright smile.

Marinette smiles, but her eyes are wandering elsewhere. “Adrien, what’s that behind your back?” she queries lightly.

Adrien releases another sigh and produces the sketchbook. “Gift hunting for Father,” he says resignedly. “So far, no luck.”

He avoids her eyes so she cannot perceive his despair, but she’s too percipient. She says gently, “Want any help?”

Adrien’s insides combust with exultation, but he quashes it hastily. His voice is calm as he replies, “Sure, that’d be great. Thanks.”

”Anything to help a friend.”

_Friend._ The word, six letters and one syllable, induces such bliss that he barely stifles it.

(Strangely enough, this reaction only occurs when Marinette says it. Something about the way she says it sends his spirits skyrocketing.)

Marinette guides him through the store, asking him questions, which he answers truthfully. Some he genuinely doesn’t know, or omits specific information from.

His friend is patient and easygoing, which he likes about her. In school, she always looks strained and edgy, but here, in the arts and crafts store, she’s practically in her element. Her demeanor is more relaxed and amiable, at ease.

Marinette has valuable expertise, he realizes. She knows her way around the store, and is effective at pinpointing exactly what he’s looking for.

”This is perfect!” he cries, clutching the gift to his chest. “You’re an angel, Marinette, thank you so much!”

He’s so exuberant he plants a perfunctory kiss on her cheek. She blushes under his euphoric praises, murmuring demurely, “It’s nothing.”

”No, seriously, Marinette, you’re a literal goddess and I’m forever indebted to you.”

Her cheeks darken further with embarrassment. “Shh, you’re causing a scene,” she hisses, though a grin forms on her face.

Adrien doesn’t care. “So?” he challenges, ignoring the speculation. He’s happy, ecstatic even, and adoration blossoms in his chest for the girl standing in front of him.

”It’s just a gift,” she mumbles, mortified but good-natured. “No need to create a furor over it.”

He schools his face into a pout. “Fine,” he groans theatrically for emphasis. This elicits a tinkling laughter from Marinette. Adrien passes the wrinkled store employee a wad of euros and exits the store with Marinette.

”I really appreciate you going out of your way to help me,” he says honestly, sobering the moment he steps outside. “What can I do to thank you?”

”You don’t have to do anything,” responds Marinette modestly. “I don’t mind helping you. You’re my friend.”

There it is again. A bolt of red-hot lightning shoots up his body as she says those words.

He gazes at Marinette, and suddenly, it hits him like a thunderbolt, coursing through him. It is invigorating, it is electrifying, and it feels spectacular.

”No really, I insist,” he presses. “Maybe I could take you out for lunch or something.”

It’s his own not-so-subtle of asking her out on a date. Marinette is a special girl, really, and he cares for her, not as a boyfriend type of way, but not quite as a friend either.

Marinette’s face flushes in the late evening sun, and that’s all the answer he needs.

* * *

Adrien tentatively knocks on the imposing door of his father’s office. He waits for a moment, and then hears a sharp, “Who is it?”

There are only ever two people at his door, so the question is pointless. Regardless, he replies, “It’s Adrien.”

There is the sound of papers shuffling, and then a much quieter, “Come in.”

The door creaks open as Adrien pushes it. He swallows and meets the eyes of his father.

Frankly, he shouldn’t be this intimidated by his father, who he has known all of his life. He had once built blanket forts with this man, had played pranks on him, even had an errant food fight. Back then, before his mother had mysteriously vanished, they had been a happy, content, _real_ family.

Now, his father was no longer Gabriel Agreste, loving father and husband, but Gabriel Agreste, fashion emperor and cold as ice. But Adrien dared to hope that there was some affection lingering inside him, that not all was lost.

Gabriel sat now at his desk, his hands folded primly on top and papers stacked somewhat haphazardly beside him.

”What is it, Adrien?”

Adrien bit back a scathing remark on his lack of interest. He didn’t know why he had bothered to go searching for a gift for him; he hardly paid any attention to Adrien.

”I-I bought you a present,” he said instead, approaching the desk and extending the bag.

”What for?” Gabriel sounded puzzled, and Adrien fought back the tears gathering in his eyes.

”It’s Father’s Day,” he retorted icily, “or have you forgotten?”

”...Oh.” Gabriel’s face cleared. “Well, thank you. Leave it on my desk.”

His mouth tasted acidic. Seething and tears threatening to burst, he slams the bag forcefully onto the desk. He doesn't care if it was damaged; his father had more than enough money to replace it.

”I can’t believe I ever did this!” he shouts, rage finally spilling over. “I try to be nice, thoughtful, and this is the response I get! Would it hurt to appreciate how much time I spent into finding this gift? And I had to enlist Marinette to help me, even though she didn’t have to, but she did it out of the kindness in her heart. I cannot _believe_ you.”

Tears are leaking out of his eyes, blurring his vision. His father is struck speechless as thunderclouds begin to swathe his frosty expression.

”Don’t take that tone with me,” he orders harshly. “You know very well I appreciate everything you do for me.”

”Really?” he asks dubiously. “If you really did appreciate it, then maybe you’d actually _show_ it, instead of acting like a robot! I’m sorry, but I can’t take this from you anymore. If this concept is too difficult for you to understand, then you aren’t the person I thought you were. Good day, Father.”

Adrien spins on his heel and stormes towards the door, only pausing to spit, “Oh, and happy Father’s Day, or should I even call you that?”

And he slams the door, the image of his father’s shocked face imprinted on the back of his eyelids.


	2. it’s me against the world

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel Appreciation Week on Tumblr- Day 2: Hero/Villain (I used both).  
> Adrien witnesses two sides of his father, one before the Miraculous, and one after.

"You're a hero, Daddy!" Adrien squealed, tackling his father with a massive hug.

"Really, now?" Gabriel exchanged an amused glance with his wife. "How so?"

"Because you saved me from the pillow monster!" Adrien pointed to Celine, who was armed with a _very_ _dangerous_ pillow. "It was about to attack me, but you snatched it away!"

"I did. Very brave, if I do say so myself," Gabriel boasted to his son, who giggled and grinned proudly. Celine rolled her eyes but smiled affectionately, her green eyes glittering with mirth.

"You'll always be there to protect me, right Daddy?" Adrien buried his head into Gabriel's chest, his voice muffled by the fabric of his shirt.

Gabriel patted his son tenderly on his golden head (mostly to tame the errant strands of hair). "Of course, Adrien, nothing will hurt you as long as Mumma and I are here. I promise."

* * *

"You're a villain, Father." Adrien's voice was devoid of emotion; blank and icy.

Gabriel did not deny it. "Yes, but you must understand, I am only seeking those Miraculouses for our benefit, Adrien. I'm doing this to bring your mother back!" His face was pleading, beseeching his son to believe him. "And terrorizing a city every week and taking advantage of innocents is the best way to do it," Adrien deadpanned sarcastically.

Gabriel sighed; Adrien had inherited his mother's brand of stubbornness, which was both a blessing and a curse. He needed to get through to his son; he was the only person whose approval mattered. But evidently, his son was set staunchly on the opposite side and didn't desire to switch positions anytime soon.

(All because of his silly infatuation with Ladybug. He longed to throttle that know-it-all girl, but he needed her for his own purposes.)

"I don't understand you, Adrien. Why are you defying me?"

"Because you've hurt so many people, Father! Including me!" Adrien retorted fiercely. "Excuse me for 'defying you', because I think I have every right to!"

Gabriel took an unsteady step back and wracked his brains for any memories of his akumas harming Adrien, or of Adrien being akumatized, but none came to mind. He had deliberately steered his akumas away from Adrien; he could not bear to watch him in agony...

"What do you mean?" he asked quizzically. "You're behaving bizarrely, Adrien, what's wrong?"

"I think it will be better if I show you." Adrien lifted his hand, and something gleamed in the light: his silver ring, which he never removed. Gabriel had thought of it as a mere accessory, an eyesore on his fair skin, but somehow it looked familiar.

Gabriel was still perplexed, and it showed on his unnaturally pasty face. "You're not making any sense."

"Think of what you really want, Father." Adrien's voice was quiet, the deadly kind of quiet, the kind of quiet that sent chills rolling down his spine. "What do you need to succeed?"

"Ladybug's earrings...and Chat Noir's ring..." he trailed off with a gasp, his face whitening rapidly. "Adrien, are you saying—?"

He was interrupted by words which he'd never thought he'd hear his son utter: "Plagg, claws out!"

A flash of green light encompassed Adrien, and when it receded, Gabriel met the shock of his life. Before him, Chat Noir's eyes were boring into his own, smoldering with defiance.

"Adrien—"

"Don't you dare try to persuade me to come to your side, because it's not going to work," Adrien interjected. "I've made my choice and you've made yours, and it just so happens those choices created a divide between us."

"But think about what we could do together! We could seize Ladybug's earrings and combine its magic with your ring's, and then the possibilities of what we could do are endless—"

"I won't" Once again, Adrien's voice pierced the air like a spear. "I love my Lady, and I would never do that to her. Do you think Mother would like it if you took away something precious to her?"

"Don't speak of your mother like that!" Gabriel thundered. "She would've—"

Adrien raised his voice for the first time. "I think she would've been disappointed in you. You're not the person you used to be; you're consumed by greed and power. I don't think she would want to be brought back like this, and even if it did happen, we wouldn't be happy."

"You ungrateful—"

Adrien's look silenced him. "Don't say something you'll regret later. I have the power of destruction, do you really want to mess with me?"

Gabriel remained quiet, but he wasn't afraid. This was his son, and he knew he wouldn't be able to execute the threat, especially on someone he loved—would he?

"Don't worry, I won't waste your invaluable time any longer." Bitterness laced his tone. "Bottom line is, I'm not leaving my Lady's side. That's where I belong and that's where I will stay, and if you interfere with us, we have the power to tarnish your reputation, plus magic on our side that you've witnessed many times."

"But Adrien, the things we could do, the sky's the limit—"

"Haven't you been listening, or does Nathalie need to clean out your ears again? I'm not going to support you, no matter universe this is, if you keep traumatizing Paris like this. It's immoral, and frankly, sickening. What would Mother think?"

"My job is to protect this city, my _home_ , and I will continue to fight for it until you give up or both Ladybug and I die. If that didn't get through your thick skull already, Father, then you're a lost cause."

Adrien turned his back on his father, his only family, and stalked towards the door. Just before he closed the door, he added bitingly, "And villains never win in the storybooks, Father, or have you forgotten?"

And promptly shut the door in his father's stunned face, feeling not guilt, but satisfaction because he had done the right thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come scream/rant with me on my [tumblr](https://emerald-streak.tumblr.com/)!


	3. we never go out of style

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel Appreciation Week Day 3- Fashion Week  
> In which Gabriel has a mini panic attack.  
> Title from Taylor Swift's song Style.

Models are parading down the catwalk, showcasing the most recent  _Gabriel_ collection. Gabriel himself is in the audience, scrutinizing each of the women carefully, and noting each of their flaws.

Symone is too ostentatious. Emily is showing too much teeth. Mathilde is waving too assertively. Gabriel sighs, scrawling this down. Did he not teach his models better?

"Next on the catwalk: Céline Dumont!" the announcer declares. Gabriel looks up, expecting another inadequate model, but his breath hitches and his hand goes slack.

Céline Dumont, as the announcer has just identified her, is strolling down the catwalk with a prowess unrivaled by any other model in the entire show. Her blonde hair swished from side-to-side and her vivid green eyes sparkled as she walked. Her attitude was the perfect balance of charisma and boldness, with the absence of the pretentiousness the other models had expressed. 

There was a significant shift in the audience's mood; hushed whispers broke out as Céline posed for the cameras, unfazed by the murmurs circulating about her, and then exited the stage. Gabriel himself was stunned into silence; he had never seen her before, and yet with she had stolen his breath.

"I will return shortly," he whispered numbly to the executive beside him. He nodded and Gabriel slipped into the wings.

He had to fight his way through the mayhem occurring backstage, as cosmeticians frantically redid makeup and the models changed into outfits. It took him a few minutes to locate Céline, but he was able to recognize her quickly by her unique blonde hair. He observed from the side as a female makeup artist touched up her foundation.

"You did phenomenally," Gabriel remarks.

The cosmetician jumps and gives Gabriel a pointed glare, but Céline smiles. Her smile is brilliant—not blindingly white, but just a natural smile that lights up her whole face and makes Gabriel's heart do an extra somersault.

"Thank you," she says simply. He admires her figure—she's shapely, with curves and fair skin. She's already dressed in the next ensemble, a piece of Gabriel's own design.

"You look nice," he comments, merely because he cannot muster a better word—but honestly, nice doesn't describe her enough. She looks entrancing, someone who you wouldn't want to take your eyes off of, as Gabriel is currently learning.

"Thank you," she repeats. It's clear she's feeling awkward, because it wasn't every day that a prestigious designer, one who is building an empire and rising rapidly in fashion industry, compliments you. It's a rarity, but it also is special.

Gabriel is nervous—there's something about this woman who causes butterflies to burst from their cocoons in his stomach, and makes him feel like he's never felt before. She's an intriguing person, he thinks, even though she's only said four words to him.

Céline tires of the uncomfortable silence. "You're Gabriel Agreste," she notes. "Did you come back here just to praise me, or did you have some other intent? I'm due to go back on the stage soon, so if you could make it quick."

Gabriel starts. There's a challenge in her voice, plain as day, and he is never one to back down. But he doesn't want to admit what he  _really_ came to talk to her about.

"Er..."

He's a nervous wreck, a first for him. He's usually composed and placid, an entity made of ice. But the facade is melting faster than snow on a sunny day. His palms are clammy, he's panicky, he can't go through with this.

(Someone call the paramedics, because Gabriel Agreste is losing his cool.)

Céline is staring at him with an unspoken question glittering in those vibrant green orbs. Gabriel inhales and exhales, trying to steady his heart.

"I merely wanted to ask if you'd like to—I mean, if you desired to lunch—excuse me, I meant perhaps go with me to—"

There's laughter roaring in her eyes and Gabriel quiets, disheartened, because he cannot speak coherently and he's made an absolute  _fool_ out of himself.

Thankfully, Céline is merciful and she doesn't ridicule him. "Yes, I'll have lunch with you sometime. You're a rather interesting man, and I would really like to get to know you better."

Gabriel breathes a sigh of relief; her statement warming him infinitely. "I—thank you?"

"You're welcome," she says solemnly, which is the assurance he needs to confirm that she had not consented out of pity. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a catwalk to do. We can have lunch after the show?"

He nods mutely and Céline flashes him another one of her megawatt smiles, which sets off another round of his heart's gymnastics routine. She strides away and Gabriel gazes after her, lovestruck and thunderstruck at the same time.

_Who is this woman?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come chat with me on my [tumblr](https://emerald-streak.tumblr.com/)!


End file.
